Why ‘The Walking Dead’ Deviates From The Comics

The Walking Dead has followed it comic book source material very loyally in recent years, but it always tosses in a left turn from time to time. According to executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, there’s a reason for this.

In May, ComicBook.com visited the set of The Walking Dead while production was underway on the show’s 100th episode. While there, the cast and crew spilled some interesting details about the series and its upcoming episodes, and Hurd opened up about why the show chooses to deviate from its source material from time to time.

“From the very beginning, Robert [Kirkman] said, ‘Look, these are two different types of media,’” Hurd said. “Because we have characters that were never in The Walking Dead comic, like Daryl Dixon, that automatically changes that dynamic. He basically said, ‘If this was a panel-b-panel adaptation, it would be a different thing.’”

Of course, some unique-to-television characters aren’t the only reason the show changes things up. They writers and producers also want to keep fans guessing.

“Is there a bit of, ‘Yeah, we don’t want people to know exactly what’s going to happen?’ Sure,” Hurd said. “It makes for better drama. But there’s not a conscious intention to say, ‘Okay, they did it this way in the comic, how can we specifically do this differently?’”

Heading into Season Eight, The Walking Dead appears to be following its source material quite closely as the All Out War arc is adapted to live action.

For more from ComicBook.com’s visit to the set of The Walking Dead, don’t miss ComicBook NOW this week. Exclusive interviews and bonus content will premiere on Thursday at 7 pm ET, exclusively on ComicBook NOW’s official Facebook Page.

The Walking Dead‘s sibling series Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season on October 22, 2017. The Season Eight premiere will mark 100 episodes overall for the popular AMC series. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.